It was each family's turn to present gifts. Bai Zhanfeng, as the head of the Sixth Palace and the empress of the world, was the first to present gifts, followed by the rest of the concubines, and then it was the turn of the prince of the grandchildren.
Ximen Hao stood up and walked to the center with Su Ranhua, kowtowed to the Queen Mother and said a congratulation. After receiving the Queen Mother's approval, he stood upright.
This was the second time Su Ranhua met the Queen Mother. With the relationship with the Third Madam, Su Ranhua paid more careful attention to the Queen Mother, but he did not find anything special in the way the Queen Mother looked at her.
The palace attendant presented the gift that Bai Yiyi had prepared for the Northern Palace. It was still the exquisite wooden box. In full view of everyone, as usual, the palace attendant opened the box and took out the Buddha statue wrapped in red cloth.
"Is this what Princess Bei has prepared for the Ai family?" The Queen Mother asked with a smile, and motioned to the palace attendants to open the red cloth, "The Ai family would like to see what Princess Bei thinks of it. What gifts has she prepared for the Ai family?"
Su Ranhua chuckled lightly. She did not answer the Queen Mother's words because she did not choose this gift, and it would be inappropriate to answer yes or no.
"ah--"
The moment the red cloth was unveiled, everyone gasped.
Su Ranhua watched helplessly as the original wooden Buddha statue was replaced with an exquisite root-carved peony. It was just a noble peony, and it also represented the status of a king. Why did everyone seem so scared?
Su Ranhua cast a questioning look at Ximen Hao.
And Ximen Hao's eyes were fixed on the peony, his face as dark as still water. Such calmness allowed Su Ranhua to see the terrifying explosive power suppressed behind the calmness, either like a cold snow mountain collapsing, or like volcanic lava.
Eruption, obviously, Ximen Hao belongs to the former.
Su Ranhua knew that she was going to be in trouble again. She didn't expect that after she and Ximen Hao had inspected the Buddha statue, someone would still dare to do something so sinister.
It must not have been Bai Yiyi who did this so obviously. Su Ranhua's cold eyes were directed at Bai Zhanfeng. The only person who dared to do something so bold was Ximen Hao's mother, the Queen!
After the Queen Mother saw the carved peony, her face instantly turned pale, and her lips trembled for a long time, unable to say a word.
"Su Ranhua, did you choose this gift?" Ximen Xianchu asked angrily, "What are your intentions?"
"Your Majesty, isn't it obvious?" Bai Zhanfeng stood up and said, "Hao'er has never cared about the palace's affairs. Before, Yiyi helped choose birthday gifts. Now that Princess Bei is here, she naturally chooses it. Is it possible that a
Can’t she let outsiders do what the mistress of the palace should do?”
"Mother, I ordered this matter to be handled by someone else. If there is an accident, I will make an explanation." Ximen Hao suppressed the anger in his heart and said coldly.
He never imagined that in order to make things difficult for Su Ranhua, his mother would blatantly frame him up under his nose. Did he have to force his son to teach his mother a lesson?
Ximen Hao couldn't tell all the truth to everyone. This was a matter between their mother and son and could not involve outsiders. The best solution was for him to take the responsibility and find a scapegoat to plead guilty.
"King Bei, this matter is of great importance. You can't hide it for others. Whoever bears the responsibility will bear it. I will never allow anyone to escape the responsibility!" Ximen Xian said in a low voice. He didn't believe in doing such a big thing as giving a birthday gift to the Queen Mother.
The cautious Ximen Hao would let him have an accident, and as the queen said, he believed that preparing birthday gifts had nothing to do with Ximen Hao.
"This matter was really done by the emperor's order." Ximen Hao insisted, "When the Queen Mother asked about Ran Hua just now, she did not admit it. My father should understand the reason."
Su Ranhua smiled bitterly to himself. He had no intention of grabbing the credit and acknowledged the Queen Mother's question, which instead became evidence to exonerate himself.
"She didn't admit it because she didn't dare, because she had something wrong in her heart!" Bai Zhanfeng retorted.
Yes, that makes sense. Su Ranhua looked at Bai Zhanfeng with a sneer. The queen's reaction was quite quick.
Ximen Hao's cold eyes shot at Bai Zhanfeng unceremoniously.
Bai Zhanfeng couldn't help but trembled and avoided Ximen Hao's gaze. This time she was determined to deal with Su Ranhua, and she would not hesitate to turn against Ximen Hao. She was just a woman who appeared halfway. She believed that after the matter was resolved, she would be gone.
Su Ranhua's confusion made his heart return to Bai Yiyi.
Concubine Shu looked at Bai Zhanfeng as if she were watching a good show. This woman was really bold, quarreling with her own son.
It's really not worth it to offend Ximen Hao because of Bai Yiyi. The situation has not been stabilized yet, and internal strife broke out. It's really unclear what the seriousness is. What's more, Ximen Hao is not Ximen Yi, and Bai Zhanfeng doesn't have her concubine's methods.
You can't control your son and you still want to win?
Concubine Shu secretly sneered, such a stupid woman, if it weren't for the fact that the Bai family had exchanged all their wealth for her position as queen, and the emperor also cared about the Bai family and tried every means to protect her, how could she have always maintained the position of the main palace? At least it would have been long ago.
He was dealt with by her concubine Shu.
It was precisely because Concubine Shu understood Ximen Xianchu's intention to protect Bai Zhanfeng that she no longer opposed Bai Zhanfeng, but placed her future on Ximen Yi. As long as her son became emperor, she would also get
The most noble status.
Su Ranqing sat next to Ximen Yi, staring closely at what happened suddenly. She now somewhat understood what the queen had said to her before.
Everyone knows that root carving of peonies is taboo for the Queen Mother and no one is allowed to mention it. However, it appears in front of the Queen Mother as a birthday gift. It turns out that the Queen has been preparing to deal with Su Ran for a long time, so she should also be prepared to paint for Su Ran.
Paint something.
"Father, Emperor, Mother, I will give you an explanation for this matter," Ximen Hao said, kneeling to Ximen Xianchu, "I am willing to be punished for this accident."
"Hao'er, wake up!" Bai Zhanfeng scolded, "Su Ranhua did this because of your love for her and deliberately asked you to stand up and take the blame for her. She had already expected that you would do this. What are you doing?
You fell into her trap, she is deliberately trying to make you punished!"
"Whether it is a trap or not, and who is the trap, I will naturally understand clearly." Ximen Hao said coldly, and the queen pressed forward step by step. She said these words in public, allowing him to see another side of his mother again.
If he was dealing with other concubines, he could accept it, but it was for Bai Yiyi to deal with Su Ranhua. What an unbearable example she had set for Bai Yiyi, who was kind-hearted and simple in nature!
"Auntie," Bai Yiyi, who was standing next to the queen, gently pulled her clothes. At this time, in Ximen Hao's eyes, she was also an insider of the truth of the matter, so she could not remain silent, even if she was just pretending.
She also had to say something for Su Ranhua, although she already knew that the queen would not let her say anything more.
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